Editorials

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SPORTS 10/14/25 7:33am

Elon University Poll, Knight Commission of Intercollegiate Athletics finds NCAA worried over House settlement

By Benjamin Berfield

A recent poll published by the Elon University Poll and the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics showed concerns from National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I presidents, administrators and athletic directors about the state of college sports following the House vs NCAA settlement this past July. College athletes could previously get endorsed by other brands, but the House ruling now allows schools to contribute to NIL. The settlement gave colleges the right to directly pay their athletes. In the aftermath of the ruling most of the respondents surveyed think this could result in a currently flawed Division I sports system getting worse over time.

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SPORTS 10/13/25 8:39am

Elon University men’s club rugby coach reflects on longtime position

By Benjamin Berfield

Ryan Bays has coached club rugby at Elon since 2003. While all teams are expected to have a coach, Bays’ position is unique compared to other club sports, which are coached by students serving as club presidents. Bays said the rugby program has meant a lot to him and he wants to give back to it as much as possible. “I have a lot of pride in the program,” Bays said. “I felt like I got a lot out of it when I was here. Being able to anchor a university club is a big deal.”

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SPORTS 10/12/25 9:18pm

Intense Elon University men’s soccer match ends in 1-0 win

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team concluded Senior Night with a dramatic 1-0 victory against the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Head coach Marc Reeves said it felt extra good to win for the seniors after a tough stretch that included opponents like No. 10 the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Duke University and Clemson University. “Sometimes you can have lapses where you don’t win games, but this is an incredibly tight conference game against a really good opponent on a night where you just have to dig in for your seniors,” Reeves said. 

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LIFESTYLE 10/12/25 2:45pm

Rock the Block brings Elon community together across generations

By Virginia Vance and JJ Duckworth

Across from a speaker-framed stage, a mix of families and students milled about Young Commons. People formed lines for food trucks and caricature portraits made by artists. Kids darted around the lawn or jumped on the bouncy house. George Martin Jr. ‘68 came from Jacksonville, Florida for Homecoming Weekend. “It’s wonderful, we really had nothing much like this,” Martin Jr. said. “If we had anything for Homecoming, we would have a dance in the gym after the football game, and that was about it.”

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SPORTS 10/11/25 7:13pm

Elon University football falls to No. 18 Villanova in thrilling Homecoming game

By Miles Hayford

The Elon University football team fell just short of an upset over No. 18 Villanova in a back-and-forth 29-21 loss on Oct. 11. Head coach Tony Trisciani credited self-inflicted mistakes for the loss. “We can't win football games with deep balls getting over our head, with kickoff returns being returned for touchdowns and for sacks that put us out of manageable down and distances,” Trisciani said. “Those were the things that really impacted this football game.” Elon plays next at William & Mary Oct. 18.

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LIFESTYLE 10/11/25 4:11pm

Elon7amTailgate kicks off Elon University's Homecoming game festivities

By Emma Luckman

At 7 a.m. Oct. 11 most people are in bed, but for the Elon7amTailgate, their day has already started. Originally beginning about 12 years ago, the tailgate started after Elon University's Athletics Advisory Board had a vision of building an event to create a culture and a more dynamic fan base. Four members of the board, David Oakley, Mike Cross, David Rich and Brian Martindale, took this idea and ran with it, according to Oakley, one of the creators.

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NEWS 10/11/25 2:53pm

Alumni share their Elon stories at the Voices of Elon Oral History Booths

By Megan Walsh

For the first time, Elon University alumni had the chance to share a little bit of their experience with the school at the Voices of Elon Oral History Booths. The booths were hosted by the Committee on Elon History and Memory in conjunction with Belk Library and The Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education. Alumni were given a chance to participate in filmed 10-to 15-minute interviews where they were asked two questions: “What made you choose Elon?” and “What do you hope students today, or 50 years from now, understand about your experience at Elon?”

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NEWS 10/11/25 1:58pm

Elon University honors LGBTQ+ alumni during awards reception

By Mia Torres

Members and advocates of the LGBTQ+ community gathered in the Lakeside meeting rooms to honor several Elon University alumni and students. Jonathan Monti ‘08 said this event gives the Elon LGBTQIA Alumni Network the ability to connect not just as alumni but as an entire community. “The enrichment awards are an opportunity for us as an alumni network to acknowledge the work of our alumni,” Monti said. “Sometimes we also include faculty or staff as well as there’s a specific award for undergraduate students as well to recognize the work that they’re doing.”

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LIFESTYLE 10/11/25 7:08am

Elon School of Communications celebrates 25th anniversary

By Anjolina Fantaroni

With food, live music, and  memories, the Snow Family Grand Atrium in Schar Hall served as the site of the School of Communications’ 25th anniversary. School of Communications Dean T. Kenn Gaither, introduced the event and extended a warm welcome and congratulations to Asha Michelle Wilson '13 with the school's Alumna of the Year Award. “I haven't actually been back to campus since graduation, so it's been 12 years since I've been back,” Wilson said. “I've done a lot of Elon panels in L.A. and coming back and being here for the 25th anniversary of the comm school and seeing everybody has been amazing.”

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NEWS 10/10/25 11:08pm

Belk Library connects alumni to Elon University’s past at annual Flashback Friday

By Lily Mosbacher

Elon University Belk Library and University Archives staff hosted their annual Flashback Friday event Oct. 10, giving alumni the chance to take a look back at Elon’s history. The event was part of Homecoming weekend programming and aimed to connect alumni with Elon’s history through resources preserved by University Archives staff. Randall Bowman, archivist and assistant librarian at Belk Library said the event showcases Elon’s history, particularly from the past 50 years through yearbooks, student publications and photographs. “We had a gentleman who graduated in 2000 come and actually look through the 90s one and identified quite a few people, including himself,” Bowman said. 

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NEWS 10/10/25 10:00pm

Elon University holds listening sessions for alumni about proposed Queens merger

By Miles Hayford

Jim Piatt, Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs and co-chair of the Elon University and Queens University merger sprint team, held a listening session for alumni on Oct. 10 in LaRose Commons 200. The session was part of Elon's Homecoming Weekend activities and was a way for alumni to learn more information about the merger and voice their opinions about it. Piatt told them that there is still a lot of work to be done, but that next steps involve assuming governance of Queens by Aug. 1, 2026.

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NEWS 10/10/25 7:28pm

Elon University dedicates building to first international graduate

By Nia Bedard

Elon University administration, students and community members came together Oct. 10 to celebrate the university’s first international graduate, Toshio Sato, who graduated in 1920. The university also renamed the Global Commons in her honor. Kelly Policelli, coordinator of university archives and special collections, described Sato as highly involved during her time at Elon. “There was an announcement the week that she got here about her arrival, then literally a week later, she is singing at a mission group event. So she was, from the very beginning, super involved. She seemed very happy to be here.”

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NEWS 10/10/25 6:10pm

PBS North Carolina begins to lay off employees

By Alannah Klingsporn

PBS North Carolina has laid off employees due to cuts from federal funding. According to the Raleigh The News & Observer, PBS North Carolina has laid off 32 employees and eliminated 16 vacant positions, in addition to offering voluntary separations due to federal funding cuts to public media. In July 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Rescissions Act of 2025, which included a provision to cancel all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting . The CPB, which is a private, non-profit organization, funnels federal money to public media stations like National Public Radio  and The Public Broadcasting Service across the country.

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LIFESTYLE 10/9/25 4:08pm

Elon students celebrate cultural identity through on-campus clubs

By Gaby Maldonado

From cultural celebrations to social advocacy, identity-based affinity groups shape student experiences at Elon University. These organizations provide students with spaces to connect over shared identities, experiences and interests while fostering inclusion and community across campus. Groups such as the Black Student Union, Asian-Pacific Student Association and Latinx-Hispanic Union give students opportunities to celebrate their culture, raise awareness and participate in meaningful campus events.   “Especially at a PWI, it’s very important that Black students have somewhere to go because there are not many people that look like them,” sophomore and vice president of special events for BSU Damani Grayson said. “It’s really a home away from home.” 

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NEWS 10/9/25 1:06pm

Republican National Committee backs Michael Whatley for Senate ahead of primary

By Kate Gray

The Republican National Committee endorsed Michael Whatley as senator for North Carolina ahead of the midterm primary elections, sparking ethical concerns about early endorsements. The position opened in June, when current senator Thom Tillis announced he would not be running for reelection in the 2026 midterms, and Democrats now have the chance to flip the seat. Their endorsement of Whatley is unusual because both the RNC and the GOP typically refrain from endorsing candidates until they have been confirmed as the party nominee or are running unopposed, according to Christopher Cooper, professor of political science at Western Carolina University.

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NEWS 10/9/25 1:06pm

El Comité Nacional Republicano respalda a Michael Whatley para el Senado antes de las primarias

By Kate Gray

El Comité Nacional Republicano (RNC) respaldó a Michael Whatley como senador por Carolina del Norte antes de las elecciones primarias de mitad de mandato, lo que generó inquietudes éticas sobre las recomendaciones anticipadas. El puesto se abrió en junio, cuando el actual senador Thom Tillis anunció que no se postularía a la reelección en las elecciones de mitad de mandato de 2026, y los demócratas ahora tienen la oportunidad de revertir el escaño. Su respaldo a Whatley es inusual, ya que tanto el RNC como el Partido Republicano suelen abstenerse de respaldar a candidatos hasta que hayan sido confirmados como candidatos del partido o se presenten sin oposición, según Christopher Cooper, profesor de ciencias políticas en la Universidad de Western Carolina.

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LIFESTYLE 10/8/25 4:15pm

Elon’s One Phoenix committee holds first annual Phoenix Feud

By Harrison Narens

Elon’s One Phoenix committee of the Student Government Association, which handles the homecoming court, hosted the first-ever Phoenix Feud. A Family Feud-like game tasking teams of two homecoming court candidates and three audience members to work together to win. The event took place at the McBride Gathering Space in the Numen Lumen Pavilion and was separated into multiple rounds, allowing many groups of candidates to play. Additional challenges were added between trivia questions to spice the game up. There was also a Kahoot as the final event to allow everyone to get to know the candidates.

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NEWS 10/8/25 12:27pm

NC governor proposes red flag laws after Southport shooting

By Fiona McAllister

After a mass shooting in Southport, North Carolina killed three people and left five others injured, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein brought up the idea of introducing red flag laws. Red flag laws allow the government to temporarily require people to turn their guns in if their mental health may be seen as a threat. "It's a good idea," Stein said during a press conference. "There are people, in our community, who people know are a risk. A risk to others, a risk to themselves, and they should not have access to firearms."

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NEWS 10/8/25 10:09am

‘Iryna’s Law’ may spark return of death penalty in NC

By Miles Hayford

After going almost two decades without carrying out executions, North Carolina is inching toward a return to the death penalty with the passage of HB 307, a new criminal justice law, in the North Carolina General Assembly. “Iryna’s Law,” signed into law Oct. 3, eliminates cashless bail in some circumstances, establishes a new mental health evaluation protocol and restricts pretrial conditions for the release of violent offenders. But it also contains an amendment from Senate leader Phil Berger that would direct the state to find another form of execution if lethal injection.

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NEWS 10/8/25 10:09am

La “Ley Iryna” podriá reactivar la pena de muerte en Carolina del Norte

By Miles Hayford

Tras casi dos décadas sin ejecutar ejecuciones, Carolina del Norte avanza lentamente hacia el regreso a la pena de muerte con la aprobación de la HB 307, una nueva ley de justicia penal, en la Asamblea General de Carolina del Norte. La "Ley de Iryna", promulgada el 3 de octubre, elimina la fianza sin pago de efectivo en ciertas circunstancias, establece un nuevo protocolo de evaluación de salud mental y restringe las condiciones previas al juicio para la liberación de delincuentes violentos. Además, incluye una enmienda del líder del Senado, Phil Berger, que ordenaría al estado buscar otra forma de ejecución en lugar de la inyección letal.

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